Erik August Larsson (April 12, 1912 in Kurravaara

Kurravaara

Kurravaara is village 12km north of Kiruna in Kiruna Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 57 inhabitants in 2005.It is the first village at the Torne River at Kallojärvi at 322 meter and is also close to the Rautas River....

 – March 10, 1982 in Kiruna

Kiruna

Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...

) was a Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 cross-country skier

Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

 who competed in the 1930s. He won two medals at the 1936 Winter Olympics

1936 Winter Olympics

The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...

 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...

 with a gold in the 18 km and a bronze in the 4 x 10 km.

Larsson also won a bronze in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1935 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

1935 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1935 took place February 13-18, 1935 in Vysoké Tatry, Czechoslovakia.- 18 km :February 15, 1935- 50 km :February 17, 1935-4 × 10 km relay:February 18, 1935- Individual :February 13, 1935...

.

He was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal

Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal

The Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal is an annual award "for the most significant Swedish sports achievement of the year". It has been awarded by a jury led by the Swedish morning paper Svenska Dagbladet since 1925. According to its statutes the Medal may be awarded in November or December to either...

 in 1936.

Erik Larsson became a laestadian

Laestadianism

Laestadianism is a conservative Lutheran revival movement started in the middle of the 19th century. It is strongly marked by both pietistic and Moravian influences. It is the biggest revivalist movement in the Nordic countries. It has members mainly in Finland, North America, Norway, Russia and...

 christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 and gave up his sport career in late 1930s. He was later a preacher in the firstborn laestadian

The Firstborn Laestadianism

Firstborn Laestadians are a subgroup within Laestadianism. The "Firstborn" are known for their traditionalism and their conservative pietistic ideals, and they seek to avoid "worldly pleasures". The name "Firstborn" relates to the Bible, Hebr. 12:23, which mentions "the church of the firstborn" ....

congregation in Kiruna.

Reference